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Yoruba Customs and Beliefs Pertaining
to Twins
Fernand Leroy1,Taiwo Olaleye-Oruene2, Gesina Koeppen-Schomerus3 and Elizabeth Bryan4
1
Overijse, Belgium
2
Olabisi-Olaleye Foundation, London, UK
3
SGDPRC, IoP, King’s College, London, UK
4
Multiple Births Foundation, London, UK
he Yoruba are an important ethnic group mainly occupying Olodumare created mankind (Bolajildowu, 1973; Chappel,
T Southwestern Nigeria. Mainly for genetic reasons, this very
large tribe happens to present the highest dizygotic twinning
1974; Radin, 1924; Stoll & Stoll, 1980).
The Yoruba chiefdoms were united under the supreme
rate in the world (4.4 % of all maternities). The high perinatal
mortality rate associated with such pregnancies has con-
authority of the powerful Alafin, king of Oyo, until the
tributed to the integration of a special twin belief system beginning of the 19th century. The great Oyo kingdom was
within the African traditional religion of this tribe. The latter is then thrown into confusion by internal battles and wars so
based on the concept of a supreme deity called Olodumare or that new smaller kingdoms were created, generating the
Olorun, assisted by a series of secondary gods (Orisha) while major Yoruba subtribes that exist today alongside the origi-
Yoruba religion also involves immortality and reincarnation of nal Oyo (Chappel, 1974).
the soul based on the animistic cult of ancestors. Twins are
therefore given special names and believed to detain special
In 1886 began the British colonial period which ended
preternatural powers. In keeping with their refined artistic tradi- with the declaration of Nigerian independence in 1960. In
tion, the Yoruba have produced numerous wooden statuettes 1966, the Biafra civil war involved the Yoruba, Haussa and
called Ibejis that represent the souls of deceased newborn Ibo tribes and led to political turmoil and military govern-
twins and are involved in elaborate rituals. Among Yoruba tradi- ment until the return of Nigerian civilian rule in 1979.
tional beliefs and lore some twin-related themes are
represented which are also found in other parts of the world.
The Traditional Yoruba Community
Basic features of the original Yoruba beliefs have found their
way into the religious traditions of descendants of African The family unit is of vital importance in the life of every
slaves imported in the West Indies and in South America. Yoruba. As in many African societies, the concept of the
family extends far beyond one’s own parents, siblings, wife
and children. It includes a whole clan often composed of
Geography, Population and History more than a hundred people among which mutual assis-
The Yoruba area is mainly located in Southwestern Nigeria tance is compulsory. The head of this extended family is the
and in the East of adjacent Benin formerly known as clan elder called Bale (Mobolade, 1971). Within the clan,
Dahomey (see Figure 1) but Yoruba people have also spread the senior is always superior to the junior. The former,
to Togo and Ghana (Massa, 1999). The twenty five million however, has the obligation to support the junior. If
people or so who speak the Yoruba language (belonging to needed, he must, for instance, take over the role of the
the Kwa language family) represent one of Africa’s largest junior’s father (Stoll & Stoll, 1980).
ethnic groups of which the main city is Lagos, one of the The next level of Yoruba social organisation is the
most rapidly growing cities in the world with a population village community assembling several clans that are closely
of 1.4 million in 1972, 10.6 in 1996 and a projected figure linked to each other in a brotherly way. A number of village
of 20 million by 2010. The origin of the Yoruba is some- communities combine in the form of a principal Yoruba
what obscure. Classical theories maintain that they tribe occupying a given area (Figure 1). At the head of each
originated from Egypt, Arabia or Nubia and that they tribe reigns a king called Oba who used to deal with
settled in their present homeland long before the 12th supraregional matters. Nowadays, the Obas no longer have
century. However, studies of mtDNA indicate that in addi- a say in official policy making although they are still hon-
tion to their kinship with close neighbours such as Hausas oured and respected as traditional rulers. Beaded crowns are
and Ibos, they are genetically the most closely related to worn by the Oba kings during festivities to emphasise their
two Western African populations located in the Senegalese spiritual powers and royal lineage (Olaleye-Oruene, 1983).
region (Mandenka, Songhai) as well as to Tuaregs (Cavalli-
Sforza et al., 1993; Watson et al., 1996). According to Address for Correspondence:
Yoruba lore, they originally came from the ancient city of F. Leroy, 18, Marnix av. 3090 Overijse, Belgium. Email:
Ife where their almighty god Olorun also known as f.leroy@wanadoo.be
132 Twin Research Volume 5 Number 2 pp. 132–136
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https://doi.org/10.1375/twin.5.2.132Yoruba Customs and Beliefs Pertaining to Twins
Figure 1
Map of Yorubaland in Nigeria (adapted from “Doppel Leben — Ibeji “ by Jantzen and Bertisch, 1993).
Yoruba Religious Beliefs second highest frequency of thunderstorms in the
world, after Java);
Within today’s Yoruba religious affiliations, more than 40%
of the population are allied to Islam, less than 40% are Shopona: the god of smallpox, very powerful and much
Christians with the remaining 20% exclusively practising feared;
the traditional animist Yoruba religion. However, most Eshu: the troublemaker, the magician and sorcerer who
Yoruba people belonging to the Islamic or to the Christian has many faces and may behave either favourably or
faith also adhere in one way or another to the traditional balefully;
religious beliefs. The latter are based on the immortality of Ogun: god of iron and war and anyone who works
the soul and on its reincarnation, which are both essential with iron (smiths, hunters, carvers, taxi drivers, etc.)
to the ibeji twin belief. is a worshipper of Ogun;
Besides the creator Olorun or Olodumare the Yoruba
Obatalla: Olorun’s plenipotentiary who created the
pantheon is diversified into numerous gods or Orishas. The
cripples while being drunk.
resemblance with the realm of ancient Greek mythology
justifies the designation of the Yorubas as the “Hellenes of Besides these main figures, there are many secondary
Africa” (Bascom, 1973; Chappel, 1974; Mobolade, 1971; Orishas.
Thompson, 1971). The main Orishas are (Courlander, The belief in reincarnation is linked to the Yoruba ancestor
1973; Stoll & Stoll, 1980): belief. In Yoruba religion it is thought that about two gen-
Shango: god of thunder and lightening whose emblem erations after death, every human soul has a chance to
is the double axe (Yoruba territory is subject to the return to earth in the body of a newborn, mostly within the
Twin Research April 2002 133
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https://doi.org/10.1375/twin.5.2.132Fernand Leroy, Taiwo Olaleye-Oruene, Gesina Koeppen-Schomerus and Elizabeth Bryan
same family. The welfare of any family is entirely depen- should wear or avoid, which food is recommended or pro-
dent on that of its ancestors. Therefore, regular prayers are hibited, which animals are dangerous for them, etc.
said and sacrificial gifts are laid in front of a special family (Olaleye-Oruene, 1983; Stoll & Stoll, 1980). The powers
shrine devoted to the ancestors (Jantzen & Bertisch, 1993; of the Babalawo included the ability to give the order to let
Stoll & Stoll, 1980; Thompson, 1971). one of the twins starve to death if he was thought to be
As in other African social frameworks, the Yoruba have possessed by evil spirits that could not be exorcised. This
developed select and secret religious communities endowed custom is a reminder of the theme of “the good and the bad
with strong powers based on the use of black magic and twin” which is part of the mythical beliefs of many archaic
powerful drugs. The most prominent of these groups is the tribes (Leroy, 1995).
Ogboni organisation which, in the past, could even force an
offender to drink a cup of deadly poison. The Ibeji Belief System
In their very popular festival that takes place once a
As the Yoruba believe that twins share the same combined
year, the Egungun worshippers represent the spirits of the
departed by masks, in order to connect the living to the soul, when a newborn twin dies, the life of the other is
dead. Other such organisations are the Gelede and Epa soci- imperilled because the balance of his soul has become seri-
eties which are well known for their display of elaborate ously disturbed. To counteract this danger a special ritual is
masks (Thompson, 1971). carried out. After consulting the Babalawo, an artisan will
be commissioned to carve a small wooden figure as a sym-
Twins in Yoruba Society bolic substitute for the soul of the deceased twin. If both
twins have died, two of these figures are made (Figure 2;
In traditional African societies, twins were considered of
Jantzen & Bertisch, 1993; Mobolade, 1971; Stoll & Stoll,
preternatural origin and raised emotional reactions oscillat-
ing from fear and repugnance to hope and joy (Leroy, 1980). These effigies are called Ere ibeji (from ‘ibi’ = born
1995). In ancient times, the Yoruba used to reject and even and ‘eji’ = two; ere means sacred image). By virtue of his
sacrifice newborn twins (Leroy, 1995). Strangely enough, immortal soul hosted by his ibeji, the departed twin
historical scales were tipped so that twins are nowadays not
only well accepted but welcomed, their birth being an occa-
sion of great rejoicing. A feast will be organised for the
whole community and even for neighbouring villages if the
twins are the children of a prominent member of the tribe
(Chappel, 1974; Stoll & Stoll, 1980).
It is believed that twins are able to bestow happiness,
health and prosperity upon their family. However, since
they can also bring about disaster, disease and death, they
will be treated with all due respect, loving and care. Their
upbringing is therefore far more permissive than that of
other children (Stoll & Stoll, 1980).
The first born twin, whether a boy or a girl, is always
called Taiwo, meaning ‘having the first taste of the world’,
whereas the second is named Kehinde, meaning ‘arriving
after the other’. Although being born first Taiwo is consid-
ered as the younger twin. His senior Kehinde is supposed to
send out his partner to see what the outside world looks
like. As soon as Taiwo has given a signal by crying, Kehinde
will follow. Kehinde is supposed to be more careful, more
intelligent and more reflective, while Taiwo is believed to be
more curious and adventurous, but also more nonchalant
(Olaleye-Oruene, 1983; Stoll & Stoll, 1980).
On the third day after the birth of twins, a visit is paid
by the parents to the Babalawo, the Ifa priest of the com-
munity. Through the interpretation of the Ifa oracle which
includes no less than 1,600 sayings, he is able to drive out
whatever evil spirits may threaten the newborn twins
(Chappel, 1974; Courlander, 1973; Thompson, 1971). He
will dedicate the twins to the Orisha Ibeji god of twins and
if deemed necessary will appoint for them an additional
patron such as Eshu or Shango. Contrary to these latter
prominent deities, the specific god of twins is a minor
Orisha who is never figuratively represented. Figure 2
The Babalawo communicates to the mother a series of
Pair of male ibejis from the region of Igbomina (photograph by Hugues
instructions on how to treat her twins: which colours they Dubois, Brussels/Paris).
134 Twin Research April 2002
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https://doi.org/10.1375/twin.5.2.132Yoruba Customs and Beliefs Pertaining to Twins
remains as powerful as the living one. The ibeji(s) will have
to be cared for by the parents or later on by the surviving
twin. Therefore, these figures are symbolically washed, fed
and clothed on a regular basis, according to a popular
Yoruba saying “dead ibeji expenses are expenses for the living”
(Courlander, 1973). According to these customs, the
mother enjoys certain privileges even if both her twins have
died (Stoll & Stoll, 1980).
Yoruba people happen to exhibit the highest twinning
rate in the world (Figure 3). In Caucasian populations, the
tendency for dizygotic twinning has been found to be
mainly hereditary (Meulemans, 1994). According to
Nylander (1979), its high frequency among Yoruba people
might also depend on dietary factors such as the consump-
tion of special species of yams containing oestrogenic
substances. Because of a high rate of premature delivery
and the lack of adequate medical care and health infrastruc-
tures in traditional Nigeria, the perinatal mortality of twins Figure 4
used to be very high (Leroy, 1995). This explains why great Dancing mothers of deceased twins (from Black Gods and Kings
numbers of ibeji statuettes have been produced in by Thompson, R.F., 1971; with permission).
Yorubaland and that they may have accumulated on the
domestic altar of certain families (Stoll & Stoll, 1980).
Twins saw the houses of great personages but did not go there
From the anthropological point of view, the ibeji belief
provides a means of helping Yoruba people to cope emo- Instead they entered the houses of the poor.
tionally with this high perinatal loss of twin babies (Leroy, They made the poor rich, they clothed those who were naked.
1995). At least once a year in some areas, Yoruba mothers
of deceased twins dance with their twin effigies, either held Majestic and beautiful looking twins, natives of Ishokun,
tightly in the palms of their hands or tucked in the wrapper Let me find means of eating, let me find means of drinking.
about their waist (Figure 4). On these occasions the Majestic and beautiful looking twins, come and give me
mothers will also sing special songs in praise of the twins
(Thompson, 1971). Some of these songs emphasise the The blessing of a child.
belief that twins are related to colobus monkeys, the flesh
of which they are expressly forbidden to consume. One of Ibeji Statuettes
the popular Yoruba myths tells how twins came to earth as Yorubas are the heirs of the prestigious artistic traditions
the consequence of the confrontation of a farmer with the that prevailed in the ancient kingdom of Benin and the
monkeys in the ancient area of Ishokun (Courlander, sacred civilisation of Ifa. Yoruba traditional craftsmen have
1973). hence produced some of the most elaborate and classical
Two Yoruba songs in praise of twins (Courlander, 1973; examples of black African art (Bascom, 1973). Ibeji stat-
Olaleye-Oruene, 1983). uettes are among the best-known Yoruba wooden carvings.
Fine looking twins, natives of Ishokun, Although representing deceased babies, the latter are never
Descendants of treetop monkeys. referred to as dead. Rather they are said to “have travelled”
Twins saw the houses of the rich but did not go there, or “gone to the market”. Ibeji effigies appear as wooden
erect adult beings about ten inches tall. They stand in a
“hands on the hips” position, generally on a round or quad-
rangular baseplate.
Following this general pattern, they nevertheless show
marked stylistic differences according to region of origin.
These differences are especially apparent in the shapes of
the heads, facial expressions, tribal scarring, and hairdos or
head covers. These latter are often dyed in bright blue with
indigo or even with dolly blue (Jantzen & Bertisch, 1993;
Thompson, 1971). Many ibejis are partly covered with a
crust of dried camwood powder. They may also present
facial smoothing and a patina due to frequent ritual use.
Very often, they are decorated with metal, cowrie-shell or
pearl necklaces, bracelets and belts. The colours of these
ornaments refer to deities such as Shango or Eshu whereas
Figure 3
cowrie shells, which were used in the past as currency,
MZ and DZ twinning rates in Yoruba and other ethnic groups (see
Leroy, 1995).
remind the twins’ power either to bestow riches or to inflict
Twin Research April 2002 135
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https://doi.org/10.1375/twin.5.2.132Fernand Leroy, Taiwo Olaleye-Oruene, Gesina Koeppen-Schomerus and Elizabeth Bryan
misfortune (Massa, 1999). Some ibejis are enclosed in a In Cuba, a legend of the Santeria belief tells how the
large coat covered with eight rows of cowrie shells or deco- twins born from Oshun, the goddess of water and preg-
rated with brightly coloured pearl designs. In some regions nancy, saved the god Shango (see above). In this tradition,
this design may appear as a zigzag lightning pattern in the god of twins is called Jimaguas and is represented by
honour of the god Shango (Thompson, 1971). In this two statuettes, male and female, united by their navels and
context it is interesting to recall that worldwide, twins have ritually used to cure the sick (Zuring, 1977).
been linked to thunder. Even in the bible, Jesus Christ
Conclusion
called the twin apostles James and John “Boanerges”
(βοανεργες) meaning “sons of thunder” (Leroy, 1995). Superstitions and customs pertaining to twins are universal
and often share converging features among cultures without
any mutual geographical or temporal contact (Leroy, 1995).
Transatlantic Spread
This would point to the twin cult as one of the earliest
The population of the West Indies and of the Eastern coast religious beliefs that has been widely spread and diversified
of South America largely originates from the previous along human history. In relation with their high frequency
African “Slave Coast” corresponding to the present-day and high perinatal mortality of twins, the Yoruba have
coast of Nigeria and Benin. It is therefore not surprising that developed special beliefs and customs related to twins and
traditional Yoruba twin beliefs have been transposed in allowing, in particular, to ritualise the bereavement process
Latin America. Such is the case of Brazilian traditions of the when one or both of the twins die.
Candoble and Macumba in the region of Salvador de Bahia
and of the Umbanda in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. These References
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